Folding standard for vehicles.



E. 1. HUFFMAN. FOLDING STANDARD FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 7, I916.

Patented N0v. 7, 1916.

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E. J. HUFFMAN.

FOLDING STANDARD FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 7, 1916.

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V the standard, proper,

' plan view of a modified form of ESTIL J. HUFFMAN, OF CHICAGO,

COMPANY, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SEARS, ROEBUCK AND ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FOLDING STANDARD FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. '7, 1916.

Application filed April 7, 1916. Serial No. 89,522.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Esrrn J. HUFFMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Standards for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a folding standard for trucks, wagons and other vehicles which shall be of strong, simple and inexpensive construction.

In theaccompanying drawings, Figure 1 is'a view of the rear end of the platform or bed of a vehicle provided with standards embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the support for at the left-hand side of the vehicle. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the support and the standard taken in the plane of dotted line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section of the support and standard only on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to that of Fig. 4,

but showing the support and standard at the opposite side of the bed. Fig. 6 is a the supports at both sides of the wagon bed, the standards lying in the same horizontal plane when folded. Fig. 7 is a sectional view along the line 7-7 (Fig. 9). of a modification of the invention, in the same vertical plane when folded.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, but showing another modification, the standards when folded lying in the same horizontal plane. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the lefthand support and standard shownin- Figs.

7 and 8. Fig. 10 is a sectional view showing a modification of the construction shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

As will be understood, the bed or platform to which the standards are to be applied may be of any suitable form andconstruction. Herein is shown a bed A having sidesills A and an end-sill A In the construction herein illustrated, the standards are located at the rear corners of the bed A, but it will be understood that they may be located at other points. For each standard there is provided a support. These supports are or may be identical in character, the

parts being simply reversed to make one of Y the supports right-hand and the other showing the standards left-hand. In Figs. 1 to 5, the right-hand support is indicated at 1 and the left-hand support at 2. As both are essentially similar, a description of one will be sufficient.

The support 2 comprisesmeans whereby the support may be securely attached to the bed A, the means herein shown for that purpose comprising flanges 3 to overlie and underlie the end-sill A and flanges 4 to lie at opposite sides of the side-sill A. An open- 1ng 5 extends vertically through the support. Communicating with the opening 5 is a slot 6 which extends toward the longitudinal center line of the bed A, or, in other words, toward the opposite support 1.

7 is the lower end wall'of the slot 6. The upper end of the slot 6 is open.

The standard proper may be of any suitable construction. Herein it is shown as consisting of a bar 8 adapted to stand upright within the opening 5. In the lower end of the standard 8 is an elongated opening 9 extending longitudinally of the standard and adapted to receive a pin 10 extending transversely of the opening 5. As shown in Fig. 3, the pin 10 may be a bolt passing through registering openings 11 in the support 2.

When the standard 8 is placed in upright position in the opening 5, the standard is held in that position by the pin 10 and the walls of the opening 5. When it is desired to fold the standard into inoperative position, the standard is lifted until the lower end Wall of the elongated opening 9 is in contact with the pin 10, whereupon the standard may be swung toward the opposite side of the bed, the standard coming to rest in contact with the wall 7, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. To place the standard in operative position it is swung upwardly until it drops vas far as permitted by the length of the elongated opening9.

In the support 1, the pin 10 is located at such height that the standard 8 shall be able to swing into horizontal position overlying the standard 8, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5. The-opening 9? is correspondingly elongated. v

A modification of either support 1 or 2 as shown in Fig. 6 permits both standards to lie in the same horizontal plane when folded to the inoperative position. The pin 20 is located at the same height as pin 20 and the opening in the standard 18 is identical with the opening in the standard 18. The standards are identical and therefore interchangeable.

A further modification of the invention is shown in Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10. In this embodiment of the invention the pin-and-slot connection is reversed from that shown in Figs. 1 to 6. The standard in this modification carries the pin, and the support is slotted. The support has the usual gripping'fianges 23 and 24 for the wagon bed, and the rectangular opening 25 and communicating slot 26 for the standard 28. The support instead of having a bolt pass through the opening 25 has a retaining slot 29 in a wall thereof, or, preferably, two retaining slots located at opposite sides of said opening and extending above and below the bottom of the communicating slot 26.

These retaining slots preferably extend but part way through the side walls. The stand-- aid is similar to the one previously described except'that instead of a slot,'the standard carries a pin. Preferably the pin extends through the standard and provides projecting lugs 27 on each side thereof. These lugs or pins travel in the retaining slots 29. The standard is held in an upright or in a horizontal position by means of the pins, slots and abutting walls as previously described. I

Fig. 7 shows the modification of the support necessary when the folded standards are to lie in the same vertical plane and when the reversed construction is used. Fig.

8 is a sectional View of the same construction with the folded standards in a horizontal plane.

To readily insert and withdraw the standard from the support when the pin is in the former, the support or standard or both must be additionally modified. Two of the 1 many methods possible are herein described.

Fig. 9 illustrates the two-part support shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The parting in Fig. 9 may be anywhere through the opening 25, but is preferably made as shown along line 8-8. The parts are united by any suitable means, as by bolts passing through the registering holes 30 in the bearing lugs 31. p

Fig.'l0 illustrates a one-piece support accomplishing the same purpose. The support in this case has an additional diagonal slot 32 in both side walls of the communicating slot. The gripping flanges 38 and 34, the

opening 35, the slot 86, the pin 37, the standard 38and the retaining slot 89 are the same as shown n Figs. 7, 8 and 9. Each diagonal slot 32 intersects the retaining slot 39 in the corresponding opening wall preferably about midway between the extremities of said retaining slot. In this manner the pin will remain at either extremity of the retaining slot and will not jolt or be jostled out therefrom as would be the case if the slots were continuations of each other. The standard will then remain in the support unless purposely withdrawn by way of the diagonal slot. V

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination of a vehicle standard support adapted to be attached to a vehicle, said support having an opening therein, a slot communicating with said' opening, a retaining slot in a wall of said opening, and an open diagonal slot intersecting said retaining slot, at standard, and a pin carried by said standard, said pin coacting with said slots to hold said standard within said opening or said communicating slot or to release and withdraw said standard from said support.

2. The combination of a vehicle standard having a pin near one end, and fixed parts surrounding said standard, a'retalning slot for said pin, an open slot in'one of said fixed parts intersecting said retainingslot, said intersecting slot coacting with saidpin to insert into or withdraw from said fixed parts said standard.

3. The combination of a vehicle standard, fixed parts surroundingsaid standard, and a pin and slot connection coacting with said fixed parts to insert into 'or withdraw from slot when in a horizontal position.

5. The combination of a support adapted to be attached to a vehicle, said support having an opening therein, a slot communicating with the opening and a-straight retaining slot ina wall of saidopening, a standard, and a pin near oneend of said standard adapted to be'engaged by said retaining slot, said standard being adapted to occupy said opening and said communicating slot.

6. A vehicle'standard support having an opening therein and a slotat right angles and communicating with said opening, a vehicle standard, and a single pin near the end of said standard cooperating with the "walls of said openingand said communicatng slot to supportthe standard in a vertical or horizontal position. r

7. A folding vehicle standard comprising a base adapted to be attached to a v'ehicle, a standard, one of said parts having a straight slot and the other part having a single pin entering said slot to provide a vertically slidable connection between the standard and the support, said support having a vertical opening into which the lower end of said standard is adapted to snugly fit, the standard when in vertical position dropping by gravity as far as permitted by said pin-and-slot so that the extreme lower end of the standard is confined in the lower end of said opening to maintain the standard in vertical position, the pin-and-slot connection allowing the standard to be raised to remove the extreme lower end of the standard from such confining relation and permit the standard to be swung down into horizontal position, the support having a vertical slot open at its upper end and leading laterally from said Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the opening, which latter slot receives the stand ard when folded down.

8. A vehicle standard support having a vertical opening therethrough and a horizontal slot therein, said slot communicating with said opening and a standard having a pin-and-slot connection with said support and adapted to occupy said opening and said communicating slot, said pin-and-slot connection comprising a single pin and an elongated straight slot and being adapted to limit the descent of the standard into said opening when the latter is confined in upright position and to maintain said standard in horizontal position when said standard occupies said slot.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto set my hand.

ESTIL J. HUFFMAN.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C. 

